Csornay Boldizsár - Hubai Péter szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 96. (Budapest, 2002)
VICTOR M. SCHMIDT: A Duccesque Painting Representing St John the Baptist Bearing Witness in the Museum of Fine Arts
probably very small. There are only references to it from the years 1325, 1345, 1346, and 1347. 30 More interesting is a little-known church and convent of San Giovanni Battista near the Porta di Follonica, on the site of the present church of San Giovannino in Pantaneto. It received various gifts from the Commune, including money for 10,000 bricks in 1276, indicating that construction was under way. 31 In 1322 and 1324 the 'fratres' applied for subventions from the Comune, because the church was too small and the rear part threatened to collapse. 32 They did so again in 1345 for an extension. 33 As a consequence of the plague of 1348, many 'fratres' died, and those remaining were eventually joined with those from Santo Spirito. 34 The latter were Silvestrines, but whether the former group belonged to the same order as well, as claimed by Liberati, is uncertain. 33 Be that as it may, a major rebuilding campaign in the 1320s would have been a good occasion to order an altarpiece, and would coincide with the dating of the panel. Although the 'fratres' are referred to as 'pauperes', they could have attracted private funds for such a work. 10 Liberati, A., 'Chiese, monasteri, oratori e spedali senesi', Bullettino senese di storia patria n.s. 12 (1941), 173-180, esp. 173. 31 Siena, Archivio di Stato [henceforth ASSJ, Biccherna 63, fol. 63r; Biccherna 64, fol. 46r. 32 ASS, Consiglio Generale 97. fol. 61v-63v (6 August 1322). The crucial part of the petition runs: "Coram vobis prudentibus viris dominis Novem defensoribus et gubernatoribus comunis et populi Sen. proponunt et dicunt Prior et fratres sancti Johannis Battiste de Senis, quod licet summa paupertate premantur, sicut est notorium in civitate Senarum, ipsi tarnen ad honorem Dei et beate Virginis gloriose et sancti Johannis Battiste et ad honorem comunis et populi civitatis Sen. et officii dominorum Novem et ut possint servire omnibus Senensibus in divinis officiis, intendunt hedificare ecclesiam vestram et dicti S. Iohannis, hedificio ampliori, ut in ea possint gentes ad divina officia concurrentes et venientes, commode et sicut decet in audiendis divinis officiis commorari, quia maxime nunc ad presens ipsa ecclesia est tarn arta, brevis et stricta, quod non est ullo modo capax personarum et hominum qui ad dictam ecclesiam veniunt cotidie pro cultu divino et divinis officiis audiendis." ASS, Consiglio Generale 101, fol. 38v-39v (23 July 1324). The crucial part of this petition: "Coram vobis sapientibus viribus dominis Novem gubernatoribus et defensoribus comunis et populi Senensis exponitur et dicitur pro parte conventus fratrum S. Iohannis Babtiste quod murus ecclesie dicti conventus ex parte posteriori minatur ruinam, et nisi in brevi, ut magistri affirmant, reactetur et refactus sit, possit destrui et rui, ipsius muri occasione, ipsa tota ecclesia vel maior pars eius." 33 ASS, Consiglio Generale 137, fol. 38v-39v (24 October 1345); ibid., fol. 46v-47r (18 December 1345): "... quandam petitionem ... pro parte fratrum, capituli e conventus S. Iohannis Baptiste de Senis exibitam, qua inter cetera continetur quod eisdem fratribus aliqualis elemosina per comune Senarum erogetur pro aiutorio augumentationis eorum ecclesie."; Consiglio Generale 138, fol. 14v-15v (17 February 1345 [n.s. 1346J). 34 Ciampolini, M., L Abbadia Nuova di Siena. Vicende storiche, costruttive e decorative, Bari 1990, 910. 35 Liberati, A., 'Chiese, monasteri, oratori e spedali senesi', Bullettino senese di storia patria 60 (1953), 242-260, esp. 254.
